IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


m  ma 

|50  

^  IIIIIM 


|M 

2.2 


lAo    nil  2.0 


1-   ^ 


1.8 


125 

1.4 

1.6 

-^ 6"     

► 

Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


\ 


iV 


4>^ 


o 


"% 


v 


>^ 


6^ 


rv 


■%^ 


^^'kpo^' 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IVIicroreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


0 


D 


D 
D 


D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag6e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurAe  et/ou  peiliculAe 


j      I   Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  giographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  init  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  blacic)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bieue  rtu  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaviis  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouttes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais.  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  At*  film6es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  ia  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I      I    Coloured  pages/ 


n 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur6es  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 


I      I    Showthrough/ 


Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualit^  inigaie  de  I'impression 

includes  supplementary  materif 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppi^mentaire 


I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I    includes  supplementary  material/ 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponibie 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissue^ ,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  una  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  fiimies  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


/ 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


ails 

du 

idifier 

une 

lage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositA  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  AtA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  netfetA  de  l'exemplaire  filmA,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  !a 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmAs  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


rata 
> 


elure, 
A 


3    ' 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

D 


> 


A  CRUISE  AMONG 

HAIDA  AND   TLINGIT  VILLAGES 

ABOUT  DIXON'S  ENTRANCE. 


BY 


GEOKGE    A.  DORSEY,  Pii.  D., 

FIELD    COLUMBIAN    MUSEUM,    OHIOAOO. 


REPRINTED  FROM  APPLET0N8'  POPULAR  SCIENCE  MONTHLY 

FOR  JUNE,  1398. 


7 


' 


Reprinted  from  ApidetoniC  I'njmlar  Science  Monthly 
for  Jinit,  ISOH. 


A   CRUISE  AMONG 

IIAIDA  AXD  TLINCIT  VILLAGES 

ABOUT  DIXOX^S  ENTRANCE.* 


Bv   GKOKfJE   A.   DOKSEY,   Pir.  I).. 

hlKI.I)    CDLrMIilVN    MISIIIM,    CIIUA 


/~\X  .May  11th  of  this  year,  accompanied  by  Mr.  E.  P.  AUcn,  the 
V-/  nniseuni  pliotographer,  I  k^ft  Chicago  for  a  four  months'  tour 
among  the  Indians  of  tlie  far  West.  The  object  of  the  journey  was 
to  secure  material  for  the  Department  of  Anthropology,  more  espe- 
cially to  get  such  ol)jects  as  could  be  worked  into  groups  to  illus- 
trate the  culture  history  of  the  Western  Indians,  and  also  to  secure 
material  to  rejn'csent  the  physical  characteristics  of  certain  of  these 
races. 

Between  Chicago  and  the  Pacific  coast  we  visited  three  great 
families  of  Indians:  the  Blackfeet  of  ^Montana  and  Canada,  the 
Flatheads  of  Montana,  and  the  Kootenays  of  British  Columbia  and 
Idaho.  Wlien  we  reached  Victoria,  on  June  19th,  we  had  before  us 
two  groups  of  Indians  on  the  northwest  coast  to  visit — the  Ilaidas 
and  the  Tsimshians. 

As  may  be  seen  on  an  ethnographical  map  of  the  Northwest,  the 
Plaidas  and  Tsimshians  arc  only  two  of  five  great  stocks  which  are 
to  be  found  on  this  coast.  Beginning  with  the  north  are  the  Tlin- 
gits,  who  occujiy  the  islands  and  coast  of  southern  Alaska.  Just  to 
the  south  come  the  Ilaidas,  who  live  on  Dall  and  the  Prince  of 
Wales  Islands  of  Alaska  and  the  Queen  Charlotte  Islands  of  British 
Columbia.  Xext  come  the  Tsimshians  of  the  Xass  and  Skeena 
Bivers  and  the  neighboring  coast  and  islands.  Below  them  are  the 
Kwakiutls,  inhabiting  the  coast  from  Gardiner  Channel  to  Cape 
Mudge  on  the  mainland  and  the  west  coast  of  Vancov   v-r  Island. 


From  a  Icctuio  dolivcicd  in  tlic  Kiclil  Coliiinhiiin  Museum,  Xovom))L-i-  (5,  IS'.tT. 

CoPYllIlillT,    18118.    IIY    1).    Al'I'l.KTON    AND  COMPANY. 


2     CRUISE  AMONG   HAIDA  AND   TUN  HIT  VILLAGES. 

The  fifth  and  last  group  is  the  Salish,  inhabiting  the  eastern  half 
of  Vancouver  Island,  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  mainland  of 
British  Colui:nl)ia,  and  parts  of  Washington,  Idaho,  and  Montana. 
It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  reach  the  Queen  Charlotte  Islands. 
The  Victoria  steamers  touch  at  the  town  of  Skidegate  once  a  month, 
but  remain  for  a  few  hours  only,  and  the  facilities  foi  getting  away 
from  Skidegate  are  limited  to  Indian  canoes.  Furthermore,  Skide- 
gate and  vicinity  have  been  pretty  thoroughly  investigated  by  an- 
thropologists, and  we  were  especially  desirous  of  visiting  Masset,  a 


Stueet  in  Masskt.     Queen  Cliarlottu  Isluiuls. 

remote  Haida  village  on  the  northern  shore  of  Graham  Island,  the 
largest  of  the  Queen  Charlotte  group.  This  village  is  visited  by 
steamers  but  once  or  twice  a  year,  when  the  supplies  are  taken  over 
for  the  Hudson  Baj'  Company's  post.  We  finally  decided  to  take 
•one  of  the  British  Columbia  steamers,  and  land  at  Port  Simpson, 
the  chief  town  of  the  north  coast  and  the  one  nearest  to  ^fa^set. 
There  we  hoped  it  would  l)e  possible  to  secure  some  sort  of  a  sailing 
vessel  with  which  we  could  make  our  proposed  journey. 

After  eight  days  of  steaming  along  that  most  wonderful  of 
inland  seas  we  landed  at  Port  Simpson,  six  hundred  miles  from  Vic- 
toria, on  June  30th.  The  prospect,  after  a  few  hours'  survey  of  the 
barren  beach  and  of  the  bay  devoid  of  boats,  was  not  cheerful;  nor 
did  the  perpetual  patter  of  the  rain,  nor  the  thick  depressing  fog. 


1  . 


;■ 


CRUISE  AMOXG   II AID  A   AND   T LIN  GIT  VILLAGES. 


t 


nor  the  forh.ni,  deserted  appearance  of  the  town,  contribute  greatly 
to  encourage  a  belief  that  our  mission  was  to  be  successful.  One 
thing,  however,  was  in  our  favor:  the  Hudson  Bay  officer  from 
Masset  was  in  Simpson  and  was  ready  to  return  to  liis  post.  This 
fact,  in  the  end,  proved  greatly  to  our  advantage,  for  by  his  efforts 
we  were  enabled  to  secure  one  of  the  boats  which  liad  been  used  by 
the  Caiuidian  surveyors  in  running  the  international  boundary  line 
in  LSD.-,.  So  the  Janet,  the  largest  of  the  boats,  was  taken  out  of 
the  si.-  d  and  put  into  the  water,  and  after  two  days'  soaking  it  was 
found  that  the  leakage  could  easily  be  kept  in  check,  and  she  was 
pronounced  seaworthy. 

Our  party  numbered  five:  .^Ir.  Stephens,  the  merchant;  Mr. 
Chapman,  our  skipper;  Mr.  Deans,  our  guide;  Mr.  Allen,  and 
myself. 

Upon  looking  at  a  map  of  this  region  it  would  seem  that  the 
voyage  from  Port  Simpson  to  Masset  ought  to  be  made  with  no  diflfi- 
culty,  but  Masset  is  almost  seventy  miles  due  west  from  Port  Simp- 
son, and  the  prevailing  wind  hereabout  is  from  the  west,  and  it 
blows  with  such  force  and  persistency  that  Masset  must  be  reached 
in  a  roundabout  way.  Long  experience  has  taught  that  it  is  best 
not  to  attempt  to  make  a  direct  passage,  and  that  time  is  saved  by 
sailing  from  one  island  to  another  along  southern  Alaska  until 
Point  Chacon  or  even  Cape  Muzon  is  gained.  From  either  of  these 
two  points  Masset  is  reached  usually  with  but  little  difficulty.  An- 
other reason  in  favor  of  this  circuitous  route  is  the  fact  that  out 
from  the  northeast  corner  of  Graham  Island  projects  a  long  sand  bar, 
many  miles  in  extent  and  known  as  Rose  Spit.  Over  this  long,  low- 
lying  reef  the  water  breaks  with  great  fury  and  the  tide  currents  are 
almost  irresistible.  Rose  Spit  is  the  terror  of  the  N"orthwest  coast, 
and  many  are  the  schooners  and  canoes  which  have  met  an  untimely 
end  on  its  treacherous  sands. 

All  this  we  knew  when  we  set  forth  from  Simpson  at  noon  on 
July  3d,  but  little  did  wo  realize  what  all  this  meant.  There  cer- 
tainly was  nothing  auspicious  in  our  departure,  as  we  started  forth  in 
the  midst  of  a  fog  and  drizzling  rain,  and  after  six  hours  we  had  only 
made  North  Dundas  Island,  not  more  than  fifteen  miles  from  Simp- 
son. But,  notwithstanding  the  fickle  wind  and  the  drizzling  rain, 
the  evening  and  night  were  happily  spent.  We  had  left  behind  us 
steamships  and  towns  and  civilization,  conventionalism  and  restraint; 
we  were  now  fairly  out  of  the  world.  We  were  to  see  no  boat  but  our 
own,  nor  a  living  being  save  at  Masset. 

On  the  following  morning  we  were  to  make  our  first  acquaint- 
ance with  a  specimen  of  the  tides  of  this  region.  An  early  start  had 
been  our  ])laii  and  our  hope,  and  to  this  end  we  had  our  boat  loaded. 


4     CHVISE  AMOXG   IIAIDA   AND   TLIXdir   VILLAUKS. 

were  all  ahoiivd,  had  one  sail  up,  and  were  ready  to  push  off,  l)nt  the 
.laiict  wouldn't  push.  AVlien  a  tide  lias  to  fall  twenty-two  feet 
within  two  hours  it  ean't  afford  to  lose  any  time,  and  eonseqnently 
it  did  not  wait  for  ns,  and  the  Janet  was  hard  af^round  and  firm  as 
a  rock,  and  so  we  waited  for  the  tnrn  f»f  the  tide;  we  waited  just 
five  hours. 

On  aceonnt  of  this  niisliap  the  hest  we  eould  do  that  day  was  to 
make  Cape  Fox,  but  that  was  not  without  some  compensation,  for  we 


IIaida  Woman  uv  Massit  Wdavinii  a  IJaskit. 

thus  s})ent  the  niulit  of  Jtily  4th  on  Alaskan  soil,  liy  two  o'clock  on 
the  following  day  we  had  gained  ('a])e  Xorthuinlierliiiid  and  were 
snugly  anchored  in  a  cove  on  Kelp  Island.  The  weather  now  was  all 
that  we  could  ]iossil)ly  wish,  the  sky  was  as  clear  as  crystal,  and  far 
away  on  the  mainland  to  the  east  we  could  see  the  sun  glistening 
on  the  myriad  ice-bound  ])eaks  of  the  coast  mountains,  while  about 
us  in  every  direction  were  the  forest-covered  tops  of  half-submerged 
mountain  peaks  wliich  make  up  this  sea  of  islands.  The  afternoon 
was  one  long  to  be  remembered.  Tents,  blankets,  and  clothing  were 
put  out  to  dry,  while  we  ramljled  through  the  forest,  following  paths 


tt 


* 


VliCISK   AMOXa    HMDA    AXl)   TLIXaiT  VILLAGE'S.     5 


« 


made  hy  deer  and  hear  down  to  the  springs  near  our  cain]).  'J'lie 
forests  were  a  revelation — hatlied  in  an  almost  eternal  mist  wliieli 
has  been  tempered  hv  the  mild  .lapan  oci'an  currents,  they  are  iii- 
deserihably  green,  (iiant  eediirs,  tirs,  spruce,  and  hemlock  fairly 
cro\\<l  each  other  and  leave  hut  scant  room  for  the  ferns  and  nn<ler- 
hrusli  which  cover  every  inch  of  <iround.  Then  there  is  a  ruggetl- 
ness  ahout  the  shores  of  the  islands;  here  ahsolutely  Itarren,  there 
pile<i  high  with  drift,  often  to  a  height  of  sixty  feet  or  more,  which 
speaks  eloquently  for  the  mighty  forces  of  Xaturc  which  never  tire. 

We  loft  Cape  Xortlunnherhind  at  three  o'clock  on  the  moridng 
of  July  fith,  just  as  the  sun  wi'.s  lieginning  to  throw  a  ruddy  glow 
over  the  ice-houiid  ])eaks  on  the  mainland,  liy  eleven  o'clock  we 
had  rounded  Devil's  Kock,  uj)on  which  the  ill-fated  Afexico  was  to 
strike  only  a  few  days  later.  At  one  o'clock  we  were  within  sight 
of    Tow    Hill,    the    most 

pronnnent    point    of    the    '  ""■ •-  ••  T 

northeast  shore  of  (Jra- 
liam  Isliind.  And  then 
the  wind  veered  to  the 
west  again.  Harder  and 
harcler  it  blew  until  the 
sea  was  lashed  inro  white 
foam.  For  twenty-six 
hours  we  beat  in  the  face 
of  that  wind,  now  gain- 
ing a  little  to  the  west, 
now  carried  toward  Ivose 
Spit  by  a  current  which 
seemed  stronger  than  the 
gale,  and  now  so  close  to 
the  shore  that  we  could 
all  too  plainly  hear  the 
roar  of  the  surf  as  it 
broke  u])on  tlii'  rocks. 
Drenched  to  the  skin,  the 
waves  breaking  over  us 
every    f(>w    minutes,    the 

air  filled  with  s])ray,  our  boat  half  full  of  water  at  times,  we  passed 
twenty-six  hours  of  wretchedness,  misery,  and  abject  fear.  At  times 
wc  were  only  a  few  feet  from  waves  which,  had  they  broken  a  little 
nearer,  would  have  tilled  our  boat  and  lowered  us  away  to  the  bottom 
of  the  sea. 

On  the  following  afternoon  w'e  hegau  to  put  miles  between  our 
boat  and  Tow   Hill,  and  were  uearing  the  mouth  of  jNfasset  Inlet. 


A  Tattdoki)  IIaida  of  Masskt. 


6     CRUISE  AMOXU   JIM  It  A   AXD    TLIXdlT   VlLLAdKS. 


With  one  more  tuck  wo  have  roiiiulcd  the  point  aiul  nro  headed  duo 
south,   and   a    t'avorahle   tide   hears   us   rapidly   <h»\vu    tlie   InN't;  a 


minute  more  and  we  sight  !Masset — a  strange,  quaint  little  sleepy 
village,  with  its  tall  totem  poles  and  row  of  cottages. 

Massot  is  one  of  the  two  villages  which  to-day  make  up  all  that  is 


$ 


VHUlShJ   AMOXa    IIAll>A    AND    TLINU'IT   VILLAdKS.     7 


Tl 


10 


'4, 


leff  of  tlic  Haidii  nati(»ii  on  tlio  (^iiceii  Cliiirlott(!  IsIjukIh 
Ilaidiis  miirihcrod  Hcven  tliuiisand  in  1H40,  and  counted  over  thirty 
villages.  To-day  tlioro  arc  two  inlialdtcd  viliajics  and  less  than  one 
thcMsaiwI  Hai<h\s.  Tlu'v  are  a  (U)oni('d  race.  Wars,  smallpox,  pfross 
immorality,  a  change  from  old  ways  to  new  ways — their  fate  is  the 
coinnion  fate  of  the  American,  whether  he  sails  the  sea  in  the  North, 
gallops  over  the  plain  in  the  West,  or  sleeps  in  his  hammoek  in  the 
forests  of  llra/Jl.  M asset  ty|)ifies  in  itself  that  process  of  change  and 
decay  which  we  find  going  on  among  th(>  aliorigines  all  over  the  con- 
tinent. The  totem  poles  drop  one  l»y  on.  .  the  great  massive  houses 
of  the  old  tinu'S,  with  their  mighty  cedai  beams,  slowly  succund) 
to  the  wind  and  the  weather;,  the  eld  grave  posts  totter  and  fall, 
but  their  ranks  are  not  tilled  up.  In  their  stead  are  little  stuffy, 
y»'Oj)ped-up  cottages  with  iron  stoves  and  glass  windows,  and  hy  the 
side  of  this  modern  ^illage  is  the  v  irMe  burying  ground  with 
marble  columns  brought  from  Victoria.  ^Masset  is  the  CIvdc  of  the 
coast,  and  in  the  fall  and  winter  the  little  street  along  the  water's 
edge  is  lined  with  great  cedar  logs,  which  are  being  chipped,  steamed, 
pressed,  and  fashioned  into  canoes,  some  over  fifty  feet  long. 
Strong  and  well  built,  the  Haidas  make  journeys  in  them  of  hun- 
dreds of  miles — tluy  are  the  vikings  of  tiie  New  World.  Another 
important  industry  of  the  town  consists  of  weaving  cedar  bark 
into  mats  and  baskets.  These  mats  are  strong  and  well  made,  and 
serve  innumerable  purj)oses,  the  chief  uses  being  for  the  floor  and 
for  the  outside  covers  of  bundles  and  packages.  But  their  prin- 
cipal utensil  for  carrying  is  the  white  basket  nuide  of  closely  woven 
splints  of  maple. 

The  real  interest  in  ^lasset,  as  well  as  that  of  other  Indian  villages 
of  this  region,  lies  in  the  past;  and  to  the  past  we  turn.  Beginning 
with  the  ancient  customs,  we  look  in  vain  for  the  gteat  labret  or  lip 
ornament  of  old,  which  formerly  played  such  an  im])ortant  part  in 
the  fashion  in  deformity.  We  did  see  one  woman  with  a  tiny  plug 
in  her  lip,  but  from  this  one  can  form  no  estimate  of  the  extent  to 
which  this  custom  was  formerly  carried.  Of  the  tattooing  little 
remains,  for  the  custom  luis  long  since  been  given  up.  But  the 
majority  of  the  middle-aged  men  and  women  have  their  arms  and 
legs  tattooed;  and  by  dint  of  much  persuasion  and  a  piece  of  silver 
we  induced  a  decrepit  old  man  to  leave  his  house  long  enough  to 
enable  us  to  carry  away  the  photograph  of  his  totem,  which  was 
tattooed  on  his  breast. 

The  physical  characteristics  of  the  Haidas  are  peculiar  and  are  to 
be  explained  by  the  circumstances  imder  which  they  li^'e.  With 
but  little  exposure  to  the  sun  their  complexion  is  very  much  lighter 
than  that  of  the  coast  tribes,  and  indeed  often  for  fairness  com- 


S     VEUISE  AMONG   HAIDA  AND   T LI  NO  IT  VILLAGES. 

pares  very  favorably  with  that  of  the  Europeans.  They  have  a  full, 
broad  face,  large  eyes,  a  nose  rather  delicately  molded,  and  promi- 
nent cheek  bones.  The  hair  is  jet  black,  thick,  and  heavy.  The 
men  usually  keep  the  hair  plucked  from  the  face,  but  where  the 
beard  is  allowed  to  grow  it  is  generally  thin  and  scant,  and  is  almost 
confined  to  the  mustache.  With  both  sexes  the  hair  grows  low  over 
the  forehead.  Twice  while  in  Masset  we  encountered  faces  which 
in  their  features  seemed  unusual  and  out  of  place.  On  inquiry  we 
learned  tliat  they  were  both  slaves  who  had  been  taken  in  war  from 
the  coast  Indians  long  ago. 

Owing  to  their  almost  constant  seafaring  life,  the  ITaidas  have 
long  and  powerfully  developed  arms,  while  their  legs  are  propor- 


A  Ti.iN(iiT  Shaman's  Ckave  dN  Dikk  Is^land. 

tionately  sliort.  A  siiigh'  ghnice  at  a  llaiila  walking  is  sutlicicnt  to 
coiiviiicc  uiic  that  he  is  iiiurc  at  lioiiic  in  a  candc  than  nn  the 
hm.l. 

Of  tlie  ancient  houses  in  ]\rasset  not  one  remains  in  good  condi- 
tion, lint  stately  oven  in  its  ruins  still  stands  tlu^  historic  li()us(>  of 
old  Chief  AVclia.  It  is  cuniposod  of  massive  beams  and  walls  of 
great,  wide,  rough-hown  cedar  ])lanks.  Its  entrance  is  still  guarded 
by  the  ever-present  totem  pole,  which  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  vil- 
lage. The  interior  is  even  more  interesting  than  the  exterior,  for  it 
reveals  the  massiveness  of  the  timbers  a)ul  the  solidarity  of  these 
houses.  When  one  looks  upon  such  a  structure  as  this  and  comjiares 
it  witli  the  ramshackle  cottages  of  to-day,  the  feeling  forces  itself 


CRUISE  AMONG  HAIDA  AND   T LIN  GIT  VILLAGES.     9 

upon  one  that  in  this  respect  as  in  many  others  the  Haidas  have  given 
up  the  substance  for  the  shadow. 

It  is  sad  to  relate,  but  it  is  true,  that  tlie  day  is  not  far  distant 
wlien  there  will  not  be  a  single  totem  pole  in  British  Columbia.  I 
believe  I  am  safe  in  saying  that  another  one  will  never  be  erected. 
The  old  ones  do  not  fall  of  their  own  accord  as  fast  as  they  are  cut 
down;  for,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  natives  actually  cut  down  one 
or  more  poles  every  winter  for  firewood,  and  in  this  they  are  encour- 
aged by  the  missionaries.  The  totem  pole  is  a  coat  of  arms,  it  is  an 
epitome  of  the  owner's  mythical  ancestry;  from  its  curious  con- 
ventionalized animals  or  hieroglyphs  we  read  into  the  past,  of  the 
time  of  their  garden  of  Eden,  and  of  their  struggles  and  friendships 
with  the  monsters  of  the  deep  and  the  creatures  of  the  land  and  air. 
The  totem  pole  stands  immediately  in  front  of  the  dwelling,  and  in 
its  more  ancient  form  was  even  ti7\  intrinsic  part  of  the  house,  for  an 
oval  opening  at  the  base  of  the  pole  served  as  the  entrance. 

In  addition  to  the  totem  poles  there  was  erected  in  former  times 
an  additional  pole  at  one  side,  near  the  front  of  the  house,  which 
answered  the  purpose  of  a  mortuary  or  memorial  column.  This 
pole  is  usually  quite  plain,  and  is  surmounted  by  the  crest  of  the  man 
in  whose  honor  it  was  erected.  Several  of  these  are  still  standing  at 
Masset,  one  of  the  best  preserved  being  the  bear  column  in  front 
of  old  Chief  Edenshaw's  house.  Farther  down  the  beach  we  came 
to  another  pole  which  was  surmounted  by  a  conical  structure  which 
bears  a  close  resemblance  to  a  Ilaida  hat,  and,  in  fact,  they  relate  in 
Masset  that  it  actually  is  intended  to  represent  a  hat.  This  pole  is 
not  duplicated  elsewhere  on  the  Queen  Charlotte  Islands. 

Of  the  ancient  burial  columns  but  two  remain  standing,  the 
others  having  been  pulled  down  and  the  dead  buried  in  the  little 
modern  cemetery.  The  first  column  is  single  and  stands  near  the 
water's  e(lg(\  On  the  side  facing  the  village  and  near  to  the  top 
a  r<'ctangular  cavitv  had  been  chiseled  out  within  Avhicli  was  placed 
the  box  containing  the  body.  The  other  burial  structure  is  in  the 
form  of  a  double  column  or  two  i)osts,  whose  tops  are  united  by  a 
hollow,  boxlike  crossbar.  In  such  l)urial  columns  as  this  were  usu- 
ally jilaced  two  or  more  l)odies,  and  in  some  even  entire  families. 

]More  photograjilis,  purchases  of  relics,  and  measurements  of 
heails,  and  we  were  ready  to  leave  this  half-modern,  half-barbarian, 
half-dead,  half-alive  village,  for  others  which  knew  neither  teacher 
nor  preacher,  but  which  were  long  since  abandoned  and  given  over 
to  solitude,  to  moss,  and  cedar  trees,  to  snails  and  hoarse-throated 
ravens. 

Skirting  along  the  western  half  of  the  northern  shore  of  Graham 
Island,  we  made  oiu"  first  stop  at  Yan,  about  three  miles  fiom  Masset. 


10  CRUISE  AMONG  HAIDA  AND   TUNG  IT   VILLAGES. 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  we  encountered  a  Inxnriant  vegetation  Avhich 
covers  every  inch  of  the  soil,  and  even  mounts  to  the  top  of  the 
bnrial  columns  and  to  the  decaying  rafters  and  beams  of  the  great 
old  houses.  Probably  the  most  interesting  object  we  saw  at  Yan 
was  a  mortuary  column,  the  crossbar  or  the  coffin-box  support  of 
which  was  of  a  single  board,  and  most  handsomely  carved  in  to- 
temic  designs.  After  pushing  and  crawling  for  an  hour  through 
wet  underbrush,  made  up  largely  of  salmon  and  rose  bushes 
over  three  inches  in  diameter  and  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high, 
we  were  off  again,  and  that  night,  with  the  friendly  assistance  of  a 


Eon-BHAPED  Rock  roNTAiNiNo  Bvriai,  Hotse  of  a  IIaida  Shaman. 

favoraltlo  tide,  wo  dro])ped  down  into  Virago  Sound  and  anchored 
in  front  of  the  old  moss-covered  village  of  Tvung.  This  w^as  one  of 
the  best  of  the  old  villages  along  this  coast,  but  is  now  completely 
deserted.  We  found  much  to  interest  us.  The  totem  pole  with  the 
moon  symbol  was  the  first  we  had  seen,  nor  is  it  reproduced  else- 
where on  the  island;  but  what  proved  of  special  interest  were  sev- 
eral very  old  graves  which  faced  the  beach  on  the  east  side  of  the 
village.  These  were  the  burial  places  of  medicine  men  or  Shamans, 
and  quite  different  from  the  oi'dinary  grave.  Instead  of  a  single 
pole  in  which  the  body  is  placed  through  a  hole  in  the  top  or  at  the 
side,  or  from  the  double-pole  platform  grave  which  we  saw  at  Kung, 
we  found  a  little  honse  built  of  short  cedar  logs.     Inside  was  placed 


CRUISE   AMONG   HMD  A  AND   TLINGIT  VILLAGES,   ii 


the  Shaman  in  a  long  coffin-box,  reclining  at  full  length  with  his 
rattles  and  other  ceremonial  paraphernalia  about  him.  With  one 
had  been  placed  several  very  fine  masks,  but  they  had  almost  entirely 
crumbled  into  dust.  The  grave  of  the  old  chief  at  Kung  was  the 
best  I  had  seen.  Four  short,  stout  posts  had  been  firmly  planted 
in  the  ground,  and  on  the  inner  corners  of  each  grooves  had  been  cut 
out  to  receive  the  beams  that  supported  the  little  house,  in  which  lay 
the  chief  in  state.  The  structure  was  nearly  biu'ied  in  a  thick  growth 
of  vegetation,  and  much  work  with  the  axe  Avas  needed  before  the 
beautifully  carved  posts  could  be  rendered  visible  to  the  camera. 
Leaving  Kung  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  set  out  for  the 


I'lUAVf:  (IF  A  H.MDA  CiiiEK.     Qiiceii  Clmrldtte  Islmuls. 

extreme  northwestern  shore  of  the  island,  and  that  night  anchored 
in  a  little  cove  on  Xorth  Island.  "We  were  now  on  deserted  but 
historic  ground,  for  it  was  hr-e  in  17S7  that  Dixon  first  traded  with 
the  ITaidas,  and  in  one  day  secured  over  three  hundred  sea-otter 
skins,  which  to-day  are  so  extremely  precious.  This  was  the  open- 
ing of  the  fur  trade  on  the  Northwest  coast,  and  from  this  memora- 
ble day's  trade  sprang  up  a  commerce  in  furs  which  has  continued 
down  to  the  [)resent  time. 

Fortunately  for  us,  one  of  the  old  houses  had  been  re-roofed  by 
some  previous  visitor,  and  so  we  found  within  dry  cedar  planks  upon 
which  to  spread  our  blankets  for  the  night. 


12   CRUISE  AMOXG   11  AID  A  AND   TLINQIT  VILLAGES. 


On  the  following  morning  we  crossed  over  to  the  old  village  of 
Kiooste,  where  there  is  much  of  interest;  but  the  ])lace  is  so  over- 
grown with  underbrush  that  it  was  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  we  could  get  from  one  house  to  another.  Kecrossiug  the  strait 
to  North  Island  and  anchoring  our  boat  to  a  piece  of  kelp,  we  ex- 
plored the  little  egg-shaped  rock  of  Gorgie  Sethlingun  Nah,  or 
Gorgie's  Coffin  House.  Gorgie  was  a  famous  Shaman  of  Kiooste, 
and  when  he  died  was  laid  to  rest  in  a  handsome  little  house  on  the 
summit  of  this  island.  By  much  hard  work  we  were  able  to  reach 
the  top  of  the  rock,  but  the  house  had  tumbled  into  ruin,  and 
two  hats  were  all  that  remained  to  tell  of  the  former  glory  of  Gorgie. 

Next  day  we  explored  the  cave  of  Skungonah.  Skungonah  was 
a  hermit  who  lived  over  a  hundred  years  ago  and  dwelt  here  alone, 
living  on  raw  fis'  and  birds.  But  in  after  years  the  great  cave 
became  the  burial  ground  of  Kiooste. 

We  were  now  obliged  to  return  to  Masset  for  provisions.  Leav- 
ing Masset  at  half  past  ten  in  the  morning,  we  entered  the  harbor  of 
Old  Tongas  at  half  past  nine  the  sa'  le  night,  having  made  eighty 
miles  in  eleven  hours. 

AVe  were  now  in  the  country  of  the  Tlingits,  and  before  us  was 
Old  'J'ongas — old  becaiise  it  was  long  since  abandoned,  and  its  in- 
habitants had  formed  another  or  New  Tongas.  Tongas  is  the  south- 
ernmost of  a  chain  of  Tlingit  villages  which  extends  as  far  north 
as  the  Aleutian  Islands.  Like  the  Ilaidas,  the  Tlingits  are  slowly 
but  surely  disa])poaring,  and  the  time  must  soon  come  when  the  race 
will  be  otitirely  extinct. 

There  is  but  little  of  interest  to-day  in  Old  Tongas  except  the 
totem  poles  and  the  old  ruined  houses.  Totems  with  the  Tlingits 
play  the  same  important  jnirt  in  their  civil  and  religions  life  that  they 
do  among  the  Ilaidas.  Even  the  corner  posts  of  their  houses  an; 
carved  into  totemic  designs.  Comparing  their  totiMU  poles  and 
memorial  columns  with  th()S(>  which  we  saw  in  the  Ilaiila  villages, 
it  becomes  a])parent  at  once  that  the  symbols  are  more  boldly  exe- 
cuted and  the  conventionalism  ](>ss  jn-onounced.  The  figm-es  are 
not  blended  and  combined  as  they  are  among  the  Ilaidas.  We 
noticed  also  that  the  human  figure  is  repeated  mer  and  over  again, 
and  is  always  ])ortrayed  with  a  boldiu'ss  and  Jidelity  that  are  worthy 
of  the  iiighest  praise. 

One  of  the  unicjue  features  of  Old  Tongas,  and  one  we  saw  no- 
where else,  was  the  ruin  of  a  house  which  still  retaine*!  its  old  front 
porch  nuide  up  of  heavy  logs;  while  in  front,  leading  up  to  the 
porch,  was  a  pair  of  ])rimitive  ste])s  hewn  out  of  a  solid  log.  In  an- 
other place,  almost  entirely  obscurecl  by  veuetation,  we  came  upon 
a    recent    house   grave   surmounted    l)v    a    cross,    showing    that    the 


14  CRUISE  AMONG  HA  ID  A   AND   TLINGIT  VILLAGES. 


inHnenct'  of  missionaries!  had  been  felt  here  before  the  town  was 
deserted. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  started  toward  the  east  again.  We  had  been 
disappointed  in  not  finding  the  grave  of  a  Shaman  or  medicine  man. 
It  is  no  easy  matter  to  secure  osteological  material  from  the  Tlingits, 
for  nntil  within  a  very  few  years  the  dead  were  cremated.  This 
rule,  however,  did  not  apply  to  the  Shamans,  for  it  was  believed  that 
their  bodies  would  not  burn,  and  consequently  they  were  placed  in 
little  house  graves  usually  erected  upon  some  lonely  rock  or  pic- 
turesque promontory.  We  had  been  slowly  working  away  at  the 
oars,  for  the  wind  had  completely  died  away,  and  were  rounding  a 
point  on  Duke  Island,  when  we  espied  one  of  these  little  houses 
perched  far  up  on  a  rocky  point  which  was  piled  high  with  innu- 
merable drift.  We  were  soon  ashore  with  the  camera  aiul  found  our- 
selves well  repaid  for  our  pains.  The  house  was  about  thirty  years 
old,  and  its  roof  was  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  moss.  It  was 
about  five  feet  high  and  nearly  six  feet  square.  Removing  a  portion 
of  one  of  tlie  walls,  Ave  could  see  the  body,  which  had  been  carefully 
wrapped  in  several  cedar-bark  mats,  and  tied  into  a  neat  bundle  with 
stout  cedar-bark  rope.  0\'er  the  bundle  were  branches  of  bog 
myrtle,  and  under  the  head  was  a  box.  Removing  the  wrapping 
still  further,  we  disclosed  the  desiccated  body  of  a  woman  doctor. 
In  one  hand  she  clasped  a  long  knife,  its  steel  blade  entirely  wasted 
away,  leaving  only  the  handle.  In  the  other  hand  was  a  beauti- 
fully carved  wooden  pipe  inlaid  with  finely  polished  abalone  shells; 
but  her  real  title  to  distinction  lay  in  the  immense  wooden  plug  or 
labret  which  still  remained  in  her  lower  lip.  Throughout  the  entire 
Xorthwest  coast  the  labret  was  a  mark  of  honor,  and  the  larger  its 
size  the  more  honor  it  conferred,  for  every  time  a  new  labret  of 
larger  size  was  inserted  it  necessitated  the  giving  of  a  great  potlatch, 
or  present-distributing  feast.  It  is  related  that  in  the  olden  times 
disputes  between  women  were  often  settled  by  one  of  the  disputants, 
scornfully  pointing  one  hand  at  her  enemies  and  laying  a  finger  on 
her  own  labret,  declaiming  in  a  manner  at  once  emphatic  and  con- 
clusive, "  My  lal)ret  is  bigger  than  yours." 

Our  next  stopping  place  was  New  Tongas,  which  we  reached  at 
six  o'clock  on  the  following  afternoon.  We  were  soon  ashore,  but 
our  expectations  were  not  fulfilled,  for  in  this  town  of  'Ntw  Tongas 
there  was  not  a  single  living  soul;  ii'.l  were  away  at  work  in  the 
salmon  canneries. 

The  location  of  the  town  is  most  delightful.  It  stands  on  a  little 
island  facing  a  long,  rocky  beach.  At  the  rear  of  the  village  is 
a  dense  forest  of  cedars,  pines,  and  spruces.  The  architecture  dis- 
played in  the  houses  is  not  of  the  usual  white  man's  cottage  order. 


CRUISE  AMONG   HAIDA  AXD   TLINGIT  VILLAGES,   15 

but  the  plans  of  the  old  times  have  been  followed,  so  that  the 
houses  bear  a  superficial  resemblance  to  their  former  dwellings.  In 
the  place  of  massive  beams  and  three  or  four  foot  cedar  planks,  how- 
ever, are  light  frames  and  thin,  narrow  weather-boards.  Most  of 
the  houses  have  two  or  more  windows,  which  are  often  boarded  up 
and  are  generally  without  glass. 

In  still  another  respect  this  modern  village  has  preserved  one  of 
the  old-time  features  of  house  building.  "VVe  looked  in  vain  for 
any  chimney,  but  found  instead  a  square  opening  in  the  center  of 
the  roof,  partially  covered  over,  through  which  the  smoke  makes  its 
exit.  Of  the  many  interesting  totem  poles  two  may  be  noticed  par- 
ticularly. The  first  stands  by  the  side  of  the  present  chief's  house, 
and  has  been  erected  within  a  few  years.  The  designs  are  well 
made  and  of  an  unusual  character.  The  other  lotem  pole  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  Alaska,  and  was  put  up  during  the  life  of  Ebbits,  a 
Tongas  chief  Avho  was  named  in  honor  of  one  of  John  Jacob  Astor's 
captains.     A  tablet  near  by  reads: 

"TO  THK  MEMORY  OP  EBBITS, 

HEAD  rUIEF  OF  THE  TONGAS, 

WHO  DIED  IN   IK8II,   A(iED  100  YEARS." 


At  one  o'clock  we  started  for  Simpson.  The  run  of  twelve  miles 
was  made  in  about  two  hours,  and  within  less  than  half  a  day's  time 
we  were  aboard  the  magnificent  steamer  Islander,  bound  for  Port 
Essington. 


